Do you prefer subbed or dubbed, and why???

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I prefer dubbed, because it is edited for content and it is simply easier to watch something in the language you speak. However, for anime that needs no editing or that I just can't wait for in dubbed (such as naruto) I'd get the subbs anyday.

-- Pearson (none@aol.com), May 14, 2004

Answers

i'd get the subbs becuase of 2 reasons. 1). because i can speak japanese so it's better to listen to the original version. 2). because sometimes the dubbs suck. they say things that are totally wrong at times

-- animezukiG (mirai606@hotmail.com), May 14, 2004.

Dubbed because having to read the subtitles is very Very annoying

-- Informer X (ithinkimhigh@sbcglobal.net), May 14, 2004.

definitely subbed- i 9 outta 10 times hate dubb (i don't speak japanese, but am learning somewhat), imo the emotion of characters are much better in japanese then english

-- Oz (souljah972@hotmail.com), May 15, 2004.

What is the different between subbed and dubbed?

-- Cressy (cressy@pummelpost.zzn.com), May 15, 2004.

Dubbed means the show or movie is done by a set of seiyuus speaking a different language than the original version, while subbed means subtitles of a different language of the original show.

-- ubb (demonreaper73@hotmail.com), May 15, 2004.


...i like Subbed better. I really dont like the dubbed..its just to different sometimes. They sound a whole lot better in Japanese too.

-- (animefrk@aol.com), May 15, 2004.

I go with Oz and informer. The emotions are better in subbed but it is annoying to read the subtitles. Having to read the subtitles draws your attention the the anime and can help you pick up details. Or if u cannot read them fast enough you don't even get to read the picture. If it is low quality and subbed, then u have to pause it ever time a new set comes up. If u lose track of the subtitles, you will most likly have to go back, but I know enough to watch episodes RAW and still know what is going no so...

-- shortstop (shortstop@narutochaos.com), May 15, 2004.

For some series subbed is better because it fits with the series more. If the series takes place in Japan, like Kenshin, then it makes more sense to have the characters speaking Japanese.

-- JupiterNinja (ninjaofdestruction@hotmai.com), May 16, 2004.

Of course subbed! all the dubbed anime's sounds like they're retarded monkeys.

-- Ninja__Scroll (Ninja__Scroll@hotmail.com), May 25, 2004.

My argument on why dubs are far superior to subs when dealing with anime (Unless you are japanese or fluent in japanese). First you have to be reading while you are watching, which takes a lot away from an anime. Not just the main action, but many small details that are thrown in. Reading seperates the thought process from what you are seeing. Next I hear about how the emotion is better in japanese, well if you know japanese than you don't know japanese emotion. The way the language is spoken and emphasis put on things is much different than English. When the language is dubbed to english, you can understand the emotion, the character and the dialect as this is your native language. Next is the context. You are most familiar with american culture. I know dubs change around a lot of the meanings and translations, but they do it to your understanding, to american humor, to what you're used to (example: Yu yu hakusho episodes". This works very well, because yes Japanese humor is different than american humor because of cultural values, i'm not just talking about the language. On top of the actual translations are the voices. The american voices are to your understanding, you know what a hero sounds like, and a villain sounds like. This is what you've been seeing since you're a little kid. In the Japanese voices, character context is unfamilar to the voice.

Theres a much longer list than this, but this is all for now. Not every dub is successful (example Yu-gi-oh!), but others take the series to a new level (Cowboy bebop and Trigun). So as long as the productions that do the dubs improve there is hope.

-- Adam (ashapir1@binghamton.edu), May 25, 2004.



It all depends if it is a good dub or not.

For example, I only watch Dragonball/Z in Japanese. The English version is a MASSACRE!!!!!!!!!!!

But uncut dubs like Yuu Yuu Hakusho, Inu Yasha, and Rurouni Kenshin I actually prefer to the Japanese versions.

Then there are dubs in which there is NO uncut version, and the whole thing is a massacre. Like DBZ, Pocket Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Shaman King...Etc. I DO watch these dubbed only because subs are so hard to find, but whenever I CAN find subbed ones I'm extremely grateful. The stuff like this also has the plus side that (with the exception of Pokemon) the Manga counterpart is uncut and beautiful. Big thumbs up to VIZ for that.

And yet some more people complain about the voices. I don't mind the voices a lot, but sometimes I really hate them, which is why Manga can be a very good thing. But my favorite dub group is Ocean Group-I really like their voices, and they do a good job. And whatever the company that dubs Rurouni Kenshin is is good too.

So it all depends. Is the Anime company dubbing it because they love Anime? Will they treat it with the respect and care it deserves? Or will they butcher it; changing names, music, and even plots? Edit it beyond belief? All for the sake of profit? Well that's what I gotta say. For me its' 50/50. You just gotta know what dubs are good and what ones are total crap.

-- Suupaa Gohan 2 (dragonballz@aol.com), May 26, 2004.


I REALLY HATE all the dubbed versions simply because I myself am very good with languages..

I'm swedish but speak near perfect english, and the the voice-actors are just terrible! They're often not even that good when japanese :P, I know enough japanese words/phrases and sound and melody of the language to gauge that by now so...

DEFINATELY SUBBED. Though you do sometimes miss things when reading, but then again, I prefer that to listen to crappy actors who sound retarded. Most also speak horrible english, and have NO feeling or knowledge at all about the melody of the language and constantly miss out on emphasis and thus change the context of what they intended to say... I simply hate that and it bugs me to no end. the end.

-- arne (arne@hotmail.com), June 03, 2004.


I know. It's pretty sad when Spongebob Squarepants (and don't get me wrong, I love Spongebob) has better voice acting than the majority of dubbed Anime out there. Anime is meant to be emotional, and you need to be able to express that emotion when reading a script. I love the Ocean Group because even if it's a crappy dub in all other aspects at least the voices are good (well, with the exception of Hamtaro). In a Megaman episode that was just on the WB! the other day, Megaman got deleted (IE killed). Lan, his net-op and best friend, was obviously devistated, and his voice actor really pulled off that emotion perfectly. If it was done by 4Kids or something it would have been like "ohnomegamanisgoneiamsosad", but...They really pulled off the sadness and despair in Lan's voice nicely. So some dubs are good. All the others just need to catch up. I also know enough Japanese to watch Anime in its original form, but with everything except Dragonball I prefer to watch the dubs because, well, I'm too broke to buy DVD's most of the time...

And of course, if you hate dubbed voices and you don't know Japanese, there's always Manga!! That way you can make up the voices in your head!!

-- Suupaa Gohan 2 (dragonballz@aol.com), June 04, 2004.


i like subb better cuz i no japeness so is much better and some times dubb translate them really wrong

-- keni (Sandy_w623@hotmail.com), June 07, 2004.

Subbed. I was into anime back in the late 80's and 90's when I had to order it on video all the way from Japan. The first anime I ever watched was Sailor Moon, and therefore I learned how to read subtitles very efficiently. They're voices are so different in English (or whatever language) so I like to hear it in Japanese. Not to mention I can't stand to watch "edited" anime. It's not meant for kids...why did they have to butcher Yugioh by bringing it to WB? Everything is so different! I hate English version. I perfer all the gore and blood in the uncut episodes.

-- (vega19@msn.com), June 08, 2004.


Well Honestly You Must agree with adam like me. If you dono't understand japanese emotion or language, you would prefere dubed. I would like to watch both versiions of anime myself. English Uncut, and jap audio w/ english subs. Not to get a better feel, but for entertainment. Its almost like you get 2 different animes when you watch it subbed, then dubbed, or dubed then subed. 1 thing that would make me watch subs, other than the reason above is that animes are too hard to find or too expensive subbed.1 more reason is that like some people, don't wanna wait for dubed. If companys would lower their freakin prices, they would sale alot more anime.and If they got more freakin anime channels, freakin people would watch and their ratings would freakin go up. thats all Im gonna say those are my main points. My simple answer would be A definate must to watch Both.

-- Mac (lilday_da_ssj@yahoo.com), June 12, 2004.

I dont see how japan has more emotion im not saying america does, but America and japan have two diferent styles of acting, America keeps things subtle and suspensful and japan keeps it explosive with alot of shouting. well those are my observations of course. what do you guys think.

-- Informer X (ithinkimhigh@sbcglobal.net), June 19, 2004.

Yeah that pretty much sounds like the way it is.

-- (Censored) ((censored)@(Censored).net), June 22, 2004.

Soooooooooo totally true Informer.

-- HIYF (iy_home_0729@hotmail.com), June 23, 2004.

I prefer subbed because it has more blood,gore etc

-- youkai (youkai@microsoft.ca), June 24, 2004.

ummm youkai subbed just means there are captions at the botom of the screen translating the japanease words and nobady better try to bull shit me and say oh no thats not true because i kow it is. i have downloaded shows subbed and then the same episodes dubbed the only difference is subbed distractes you frim the actual piture because you are to busy reading the captions.

-- Informer X (ithinkimhigh@sbcglobal.net), June 24, 2004.

YEAH WHAT HE SAID.

-- (Censored) ((censored)@(censored).net), June 27, 2004.

Hard to say really. I usually will watch an anime dubbed if it is available that way. I like to just watch and not have to read. I can pay attention to the beautiful backgrounds, and catch some of the small details in the background, that I miss when reading subtitles. On the flip side, I usually download the majority of my anime as soon as it is released by a sub group. This of course means that there is no dubbing. :o) What I really like about this is the depth the groups go, to translate everything! Signs, letters, billboards, whatever. They also will often put in notes to help the reader understand things. I usually have my finger hovering over the pause on my computer so I can read these when they pop up. I have learned quite a bit about Japanese culture this way. Something I would not have gained by watching the dubbed version. I suppose it all comes down to can I stand the voice talent doing the voice in either format. The Japanese voice talent for Goku on DragonBall just makes me kringe. The English voice talent for Excel Excel on Excel saga makes me want to strangle something. Needless to say it all comes down to the circumstances for each particular show. I like watching Ai Yori Aoshi in English, but I understand that Miss Aoi is a very traditional Japanese character. This is shown by her dialect in the Japanese sound track. Tina on the other hand has an English accent and a totally different dialect. If you watch Someday Dreamers when Yume meets Angela for the first time she speaks English on the Japanese sound track. On the English sound track she talks really slow and you are left trying to figure out why. Little things like this can really make you apreciate one over the other. I noticed that the music for Kiki's Delivery Service is totally different in the Disney dubbed version. The original Japanese is kind of a 50's style song. The Disney version is more like a current Pop hit. It really changes the mood for the opening.

Well I have taken enough space on this thread. That is my two cents worth. Make of it what you will.

-- Terry Pleger (wuntvor@comcast.net), July 05, 2004.


Dubbs are bullsh!t. Sorry but I totally and completly hate them. The example that I always pull out is Shaman King. They edited so much of shaman king. From name changes(Ren-Lenny...), they also said Anna, who is a traditional Japanese shaman mind you, was from Britain... there is something wrong with that. Not to mention the changed one characters sex from male to female. I just find that you are seeing the anime far more in the way it was meant to be seen if you are watching the dubbs. And though I may not speak Japanese after a while it is easy to pick up on mannerisms. And come on are you people really so lazy as to not take the time to read the subs? If you can read at all then you can keep up and not miss anything, I rarely read for enjoyment but I dont miss things in anime. So PLEASE if you really like the anime watch the subbed.

-- Graham (CoolGem@Mindspring.com), July 16, 2004.

Before i saw the subbed versions of the animes the dubbed versions sounded fine. Yeah subbed versions do have better emothions usually but i am on a lap top and my display sucks. i can hook it up to a tv but subtitles dont look good on that. so i am stuck on my annoying little screen here.

-- shortstop (dogboygoesberserk@sbcglobal.net), July 18, 2004.

How the hell can anybody watch that dubbed crap? I HATE IT!!! It should be illegal to dub anime... Subbing rulez!!!

-- mrMangal (olly_boy@msn_nospam.com), September 12, 2004.

subs kick ass!!!!!!!!!!! some are really crappy but the better ones make up for it. i suggest watching Sakura Dairies if you have not seen it yet. Now that is a good sub.

-- kurumi sakamoto (urara69@hotmail.com), October 27, 2004.

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